Nov. 26, 1997 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 EUGENE--University of Oregon student Ashley Edmiston of Gold River, Calif., will sing the Christmas portions of Handel's "Messiah" when the first-ever "cyber-chorus" makes its live Carnegie Hall debut at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30, in New York City. A sophomore psychology and political science major, Edmiston will be among nearly 100 singers from 25 states all across America selected in June to perform in the AmericaOnline (AOL) Chorus. Other Oregon singers include SaBella LaVallee of Beaverton and Amy Goedeck Smith of Eugene. Composer and conductor John Rutter will direct the AOL Chorus, several soloists and the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra in the Nov. 30 concert. Also on the program will be a performance of Rutter's "Magnificat" by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, a soprano soloist and a large chorus of church and high school singers from around the United States. Edmiston found out about the AOL Chorus when she visited CultureFinder, an internet arts site on AOL. Early last spring, CultureFinder invited any of its online visitors interested in performing with the cyber-chorus to submit audition tapes. "When I saw the announcement, I thought it looked fun and figured I didn't have anything to lose," says Edmiston, an alto with three years of high school choir experience. "Anyway, how many times in your life can you say that you've sung at Carnegie Hall?" Edmiston was among more than 500 applicants who submitted audition tapes to MidAmerica Productions which organized the cyber-chorus as a joint venture with AOL. Founded 15 years ago, the New York production company brings together musicians, singers and conductors from all over the world to perform at New York's major concert venues, such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. To rehearse, AOL Chorus members compensated for the distance between them in unique ways. The singers participated in online chat sessions, as well as "cyber-rehearsals." This included real-time rehearsal sessions with Rutter, their conductor. Each singer in the chorus received a tape of the music with that singer's part amplified so it was easy to rehearse alone, Edmiston says. The final three days before the concert, the choir is rehearsing together in New York. "I'm really excited to be doing the Carnegie Hall concert, and it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," says Edmiston who has played the piano since she was five years old. She also was a member of the California Music Education Association's Capitol Section Honor Choir, a choral ensemble made up of quartets from approximately 20 high schools in the Sacramento area. -30- #H-2104/Hometown/eb